Mimi Soileau goes nearly weekly to see what vegetables are ripe to be plucked from garden beds beside her parish church, St. Pius X.

Time spent with her hands in the dirt is nothing new for this 85-year-old master gardener. She's currently harvesting hearty kale, eggplant and broccoli from the raised beds, a new initiative of the parish garden ministry.

These vegetables go to the parish's Society of St. Vincent de Paul conference, which has given the fresh produce to families in need since the growing season began.

It does not take long to understand why Bangladesh is often cited in discussions about climate change and why the country could often be discussed during the United Nations' conference on climate change, which runs Nov. 30 to Dec. 11 in Paris.

COMMENTARY

On Monday representatives from 195 nations gathered in Paris to grapple with the greatest moral issue of our time -- the war against Mother Earth. French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius warns that “It is life on our planet itself which is at stake,” and there is an “absolute urgency” to turn things around.

A top Vatican official has invited bishops near and far to lend prayerful support to massive global demonstrations ahead of international climate negotiations and to encourage Catholics in their dioceses to partake.